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@Xojaevs Day 4 Article

1.

WHY LIVE ARTS MATTER
WHY
MATTER
How do performances compare when
you take away the screen between?
WORDS AILSA HARVEY
P
erformance arts are more
accessible today than ever
before. From your home you
can stream a multitude of
genres, but could the projection
on the screen in your living room ever
replace the buzz of a live event? Whether you
want to immerse yourself into a theatrical
drama, feel the beats of your favourite songs
resonate throughout your body, or stimulate
your eyes with dancers’ aesthetics as they
parade around you in perfect synchrony, live
performances place you amid the action.
The power that comes with being
positioned in a live venue is immense. As
the entertainment unfolds immediately
before you, your eyes are the only lenses
required. The details you experience come
down to the elements you focus on. Will you
pay close attention to the main character as
they drive passion into their monologue?
Or will you perhaps analyse the actors in
the background, remaining focused and
in character during their role of setting the
scene? You are equipped with the ability to
personalise your viewing experience, a choice
that a recorded event deprives you of.
Live events were invented to bring people
together. They have the power to hold
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a room lled with thousands of people,
and contain a trans xed silence like no
other. This works because the large majority
have speci cally chosen this event to align
with their interests. The room might be
lled with thousands of diverse people, but
they have all come together for the same
reason, and in the hours of the performance
the room is bonded by what they are
witnessing together.
The impact of shared experiences
For those who spend a lot of time alone or
experience loneliness, attending a live event
can increase the feeling of inclusivity. As
many of these events involve only observing,
even people who attend one alone are able
to feel like they are part of a large group.
Sitting next to strangers, even without
speaking, audience members can feel like
they are sharing something in common.
Studies have shown that attending a theatre
or similar concerts every few months can
reduce the chances of feeling lonely by 33%.
When listening to music in particular,
the limbic system becomes more activated.
The limbic system is a set of structures in
the brain responsible for controlling our
emotions, and o entimes during live events
these raised emotions can encourage
people to socialise with those around them.
The combination of this activity in the
brain making event-goers more inclined to
chat and the densely populated arenas in
which the events are held means feelings
of loneliness can quickly begin to fade.
One type of live event that is bound to
leave you feeling upli ed, or maybe even
with pleasantly sore facial muscles as
a memento of a good time, is comedy.
Laughing can relieve stress and anxiety,
boost your overall mood and even be
contagious. However, you might have noticed
a di erence between experiencing a funny
event yourself and sharing it with a friend.
When laughing with others, your laughter
is more likely to last longer and can also
make you bond more with those around you.
This is why during a comedy event, with
a room full of people sharing the comedian’s
reminiscent tales or cleverly constructed
one-liners, large proportions of the audience
can be le in hysterics as they wipe away the
tears falling uncontrollably down their faces.
When you hear the sound of laughter, the
areas of the brain that are used most when
you smile and laugh become activated to
prepare you for laughter too. Watching a
PSYCHOLOGY NOW

2.

WHY LIVE ARTS MATTER
attending
a live event
can increase
the feeling of
inclusivity
comedy on television might give you
a chuckle, but being surrounded by the
sound of thousands of bodies laughing
can make you enjoy and appreciate
a joke far more than you would alone.
In general, the collection of people in one
area can make us feel included, but a sense
of belonging can come at live events that are
tailored towards a niche audience. Music
is one topic that can divide even those
who have the most in common. You might
wonder how someone can dislike your
favourite band, but at the same time you
recoil at the sound of someone else’s. When
attending a live gig, you don’t even have to
communicate with those around you to
know that almost everyone in the arena
PSYCHOLOGY NOW
MAKING MEMORIES
One of the core qualities of a live event is that it is likely to hold
a more signi cant place in your memory than a televised one. Part of this
is due to the amount of time we dedicate our thoughts to a live event.
Unlike when you select a short series to watch, live events require more
commitment. A er an extended period of securing tickets and planning
the event – from organising who is going, to selecting a suitable time and
the rising excitement that appears shortly before the day – your mind
is already used to processing this live event.
When streaming entertainment, less commitment is required. You can
play something and change your mind within an instant. There are no
repercussions and you are likely to forget the short event faster than you
will a live one. Live events incorporate all your senses. You might feel
the heat of an arena, the movement of the crowds, new smells and the
irreplicable sounds of the cha ering, screaming and laughter as the venue
lls up. Aside from the main source of entertainment, a lot can be taking
place around you to observe, and these senses aid you in securing a memory.
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3.

WHY LIVE ARTS MATTER
has something in common with you. This
sense of belonging can be experienced
live through the synchronised singing
and chanting of the crowd surrounding
you. Not only does it create a unique
atmosphere, but it can provide an air
of appreciation. This connection can
heighten your adrenaline in ways that
watching a recorded live event can’t.
Live music and the body
Music is a powerful tool. By simply listening
to it, we are able to relax our minds and
reduce stress, motivate ourselves, energise
our bodies, relieve pain and improve our
memory and concentration. All of these
bene ts can be achieved alone, through
the power of headphones or speakers. But,
you may have noticed that this simply can’t
compare to how you feel when you’re singing
and dancing to the tunes of a live band.
The sound of music has gathered groups
of people for centuries, due to the chemical
impact it has on the brain. When listening
to music, the reward circuit in the brain is
triggered, causing dopamine to be released.
This chemical can provide us with the
feeling of reward.
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Psychological studies show
that live music actually has a
unique impact on our brains
So, why do people opt to listen to music
live in elds or halls, rather than in the
con nes of their home? Psychological
studies show that live music actually has
a unique impact on our brains. Those who
attend a live music event together, such as
a festival or a concert, re brainwaves in
synchronisation with other listeners. This
synchronisation is signi cantly higher
than that which occurs when there are
fewer listeners or when the same number
of people are listening to a recording. In
one study, those whose brainwaves were
recorded were asked questions about their
experience of the events. Those who showed
higher synchrony also displayed more
enjoyment, and experienced a stronger sense
of connection to the performers on stage.
But why are our brains emitting these
invisible signals during a concert? Our
conscious experience is created by the
brain processing and making sense of the
information around us. This information is
organised into signals called oscillations or
brainwaves. These will be largely dictated
by the rhythm of the music being played,
and when they match the brainwaves being
produced by other concert-goers, people are
likely to feel bonded. It is this same rhythmdetecting method that is used to bond
a mother and baby before birth as a baby’s
brain tunes in to the sound of its mother’s
heartbeat. Live music has adopted this core
human trait for survival, as part of its ability to
keep people feeling inclusion and belonging.
The socialisation and connectivity is
what contributes to the festival mentality.
People are motivated to attend festivals
on an annual basis, and sometimes more
regularly. In the cases of the larger festivals,
PSYCHOLOGY NOW

4.

WHY LIVE ARTS MATTER
much of the appeal is the escapism that
comes from spending extended periods
listening to music and attending live
events for multiple days. The psychological
concept of escapism is a way to distract
the mind from the thoughts that enter your
head during general daily life. While all art
performances have the ability to transport
you to a di erent world in some way,
physically attending a live event pushes the
thoughts of work or home life further from
the mind. At a festival, this form of escapism
can be extended for multiple nights. With
everybody looking to enjoy their favourite
music and absorb the party atmosphere,
these live events provide a space for
everybody to immerse themselves and relax,
with limited pressures or responsibilities.
Live events like festivals and concerts also
provide audiences with a space to move.
When we hear music, areas at the front of our
brains are activated. The level of stimulation
created in these regions line up with how
much we enjoy the music. Meanwhile, at the
base of the brain, the cerebellum helps to
control the coordination of the body’s
movement. These areas work together to
ignite our drive for dancing to the music and
help to keep us moving to its beat. Unless you
are someone who avoids dancing in public,
a live event is the ideal location to ful l your
dancing desires. Dancing along in a space
speci cally designated for the activity makes
dancing with others more appealing and
perhaps more natural than jumping from the
sofa when watching an event on the television.
productions can teach empathy in a safe
and fun environment. Without being taught
in a forced manner, children can use plays
to understand situations that are di erent
to their own. The more a young person
is able to put themselves into another
character’s shoes, the more empathetic
they can be outside of these performances
when learning about real-life situations.
Psychology for performers
Empathetic theatre
Our exposure to live arts events is not only
an exciting and glamorous experience, but
it also helps to enhance cognitive ability
and mental wellbeing. From a young age,
live arts can contribute to the building of
a person’s character, expand interests and
shape perspectives and mentality. One way
in which attending theatre in particular has
proved to change an audience’s outlook on
a topic is through empathy. When exploring
the story of a character embodied before
you, the events on stage can seem quite real,
and o en help audiences better understand
what the character is experiencing.
Psychologists have found that those who
attend a play that’s based on a disadvantaged
group become more empathetic towards
people in that situation a er leaving the
theatre. Following a theatre trip centred on
a particular issue, audience members are
more likely to donate to relevant charities.
The empathy created isn’t limited to
problems encountered in a speci c theatrical
performance. For some people, semi-regular
theatre trips and analysis of characters’ stories
means that they become more charitable in
general. For young children, age-appropriate
PSYCHOLOGY NOW
There are many bene ts to the mind of an
audience member at a live event. For this
reason, the primarily accepted interpretation
is that the performers are working to deliver
something special to those who have
paid to see them. However, the audience
members are not the only people gaining
from the experience of a live event. When
on stage, presented with row a er row of
faces, eagerly anticipating your next move,
the performers themselves are more likely
to perform well. This is called the audience
e ect and, more speci cally, social facilitation.
Social facilitation can be observed in
even the simplest tasks, and involves an
individual putting more e ort into their
work when in the presence of others. It
even makes a di erence if someone who
isn’t being watched thinks that they are.
Studies show that this is more likely to occur
during activities such as live performances,
whereby the actors, singers, dancers or other
performers have practised and perfected
their show. When performing a di cult task,
or one that isn’t well practised, an audience
can reduce someone’s success (possibly due
to pressure), whereas, a er signi cant
rehearsals, those producing live events
COMFORT IN
NUMBERS
The human brain is programmed
to feel comfortable in large
groups. Having been constantly
targeted by other animals, some
of the earliest people needed
to nd comfort in numbers to
survive. The survival traits of
our early ancestors might seem
a world away from the civilised
a endance at a live arts event,
but the way we mentally respond
in groups is similar in some ways.
Experiencing heavy plot-lines,
outrageous jokes or calming
music can greatly impact the
emotions we feel while we
consume live entertainment. As
everyone in the room will witness
the event proceedings at the
same time as you, the reactions
from other people can help you
to strengthen and validate your
emotional responses.
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5.

WHY LIVE ARTS MATTER
are o en incredibly familiar with their
routine. In front of a live audience, those
on stage are keen to impress the crowds
and are likely to portray some of their best
performances compared with average ones
in the practices running up to the event.
One of the factors that is impacted
by an audience, and can create social
facilitation, is a person’s mental
arousal level. This level is altered by a
combination of alertness, situational
awareness, vigilance, level of distraction,
stress and direction of attention.
Having a large audience can stimulate
these levels and help a performer to
channel their energy e ectively.
When there is a constant feeling of
being watched, more pressure is put onto a
performance to go well, and those producing
it are more likely to stay focused and alert.
Aware of the large number of eyes staring
back at them, those performing o en pay
more attention to their surroundings and
play to any unexpected changes more
smoothly. This improvisation can be key
to keeping an audience unaware of any
mistakes. Raising the level of arousal too
high can have detrimental impacts, and it’s
essential to learn this balance and adjust to
an audience’s presence. Signs of this level
becoming overly elevated include nerves
showing in a performance, anxiety and
being unable to focus on their role due to the
overwhelming distraction of the audience.
Performer proximity
One of the core elements of live performance
can’t be re-created any other way, and that
is the sheer joy that fans thrive o when
being in close proximity to a performer.
Being in the same room as the people on
stage is a highlight for many attendees.
Have you ever been to watch someone
famous with a friend and one of you
has claimed ‘They looked right at me!’?
Whether it’s imagined or real, when there
is nothing but air between your eyes and
a performer you admire, you may feel that
your participation at the event is much more
valuable and personal than when you simply
add to their viewer statistics on television.
It is possible for people to become
emotionally attached to celebrities, and so
when you end up watching them at a live
event, and in the same space as them, it
can feel like you are nally meeting a friend
you know well. Celebrities can also have
this e ect on people who aren’t even big
fans. Simply the fact that they are famous is
enough to excite some crowds. The celebrity
to non-celebrity ratio is so large that famous
people seem almost untouchable. Leading
parallel lives, it is unlikely that you will have
many encounters with a particular celebrity.
For famous performers, live events are
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FROM STORYTELLING
TO THEATRE
When you break down the core qualities of a theatre
performance, this live art is simply a large storytelling session,
the actors having mastered the most e ective ways to relay the
best ctional or true tales. Flocks of people pour through theatre
doors to be taken on an emotional and visual journey. Storytelling
is one of the oldest forms of live performance and it is likely to
be how they rst began. Since people were able to speak, they
were passing down stories of their ancestors and recounting
adventures from their day. As the simplest way to communicate,
there was no technology to record these events, and live arts
were an essential part of education and entertainment.
Theatre in particular can be traced back to ancient Greece.
Around 600 BCE, people began to express their stories in
more dramatised fashions. Gathering in designated areas
to perform, as we do today, Greek theatres were occupied
as a luxury form of entertainment. They were also reserved
for special occasions such as religious festivals.
Storytelling is deep-rooted in human history, and one theory
is that this is because humans need to perform to others in
order to make sense of the world. The narrative theory states
that people have always needed to share their encounters
and stories with others. Today, live events still hold this role
in sharing pure entertainment and presenting a message to
a large group in a way that will move and impact them.
PSYCHOLOGY NOW

6.

WHY LIVE ARTS MATTER
a chance to interact with many thousands
of fans at one time. It’s the only time you
are guaranteed to see someone you might
not know personally, but know surprisingly
vast amounts about. When you see them
across the crowded venue, your brain will
process them as an acquaintance, because
it is familiar with the face, and you are sure
to be lled with some form of excitement.
If you are a fan of the performer, you are
likely to watch recordings of their work
frequently at home. But, having a date and
time for when you will see them in real life
builds anticipation that doesn’t happen when
content is available to stream at any time.
When you start counting down the days until
you can attend a particular event, the brain
is constantly preparing for it. At the base of
the brain, the cerebellum is referred to as the
non-thinking part. When you become aware
of a live event that you will be attending, the
anticipation that follows comes from this
area of the brain. Dopamine is released in
the brain when we are expecting something
good, and this neurotransmitter works in the
body to reduce pain and increase excitement
when we look forward to a live event.
Crossing the boundary
As a member of the audience, you might be
fooled into thinking that there is a distinct
format separating you (the audience) from
them (the entertainer), but sometimes this
boundary fades. Live performances extend
the possibilities for a performer, enabling
them to interact with the audience. For
example, comedy shows o en pick on
the audience, converting an unexpected
observer into a comedy prop, as they are
brought onto the stage. For some audience
members, this situation rivals some of
their most embarrassing nightmares,
while others enjoy the attention that
comes with their taste of the limelight.
Another technique, o en used in theatre
to capture the audience’s attention is an
‘aside’. This is when a character turns to
address the audience and begins telling their
side of the story as well as their deepest
secrets. More o en than not, there will be
an occasion when you feel as though the
actor is looking into your eyes as they speak.
This can make audience members feel
important and involved in the emerging plot.
This shi , from outside observer to
con dant, enables everyone o stage
to connect on a deeper level with the
PSYCHOLOGY NOW
characters’ emotions. Asides are far more
e ective when performed live than they are
in a lm, as the actor can enter the spotlight
and turn towards you. Imitating a standard
face-to-face interaction, the body language
is picked up by the brain as it is in daily life.
You might nd yourself becoming more
attentive to what the character has to say,
as your mind believes that – although you
are one in a sea of faces – the character
is divulging information solely to you.
Endangered events
During the Covid-19 pandemic, entertainment
venues were forced to shut as people
were unable to gather in large groups.
From the grandest opera houses to school
halls used for small events, people had
to come to terms with the fact that there
was nowhere they could appreciate this
form of entertainment. But, with virtual
events being streamed into people’s homes,
how di erent would the industry be if all
performances used this technology, and
performers never saw their audience?
When people began making a living from
their ability to hold an audience and captivate
them, they needed an audience to be a brutal
measurement of their success and talent. If
your presence on a stage managed to draw
an audience, you were doing something right,
while a dispersing crowd would be harsh
but instant feedback. Today, the televised
dramas, comedy sketches and music that
is added to streaming services involve high
production and long waits for the producers
and performers. Entire productions need to
be shot, processed, nalised and scheduled
before sharing with the world. While they
are being recorded, there is no accurate
way of truly knowing whether the content
will become popular. The statistics answer
this question later, and if there are only
a small number of viewers or listeners, it
might feel like the work has been done in vain.
The human connection we experience
at a live event simply can’t be transported
through a recording. Have you ever watched
a funny television show by yourself, and
thought of people whom you wish were
there to share it with you? This need to share
in happiness is a human trait that is greatly
ampli ed in live venues. Taking your eyes o
the performance for a while and witnessing
the number of people around you who are
absorbed in the same shared experience
provides an atmosphere that is unique to
© Shu erstock, Ge y Images / invincible_bulldog
Dopamine is released in
the brain when we are
expecting something good
live arts. There is something about spending
time with a mass of people who all lead
di erent lives, but have come together at
a particular venue at a particular time. During
the hours that you’re a member of the
audience, you’re part of a shared community
of the moment.
The walls surrounding the venue make
the viewer aware that they are part of an
exclusive group. Even though the performers
might go on to re-create the same show to
further thousands as they tour the world, no
two displays will be identical. On services
like Net ix, this personalisation is lacking.
You will know that many thousands of
people are watching with you, and are
being provided with an exact replica of the
material you are consuming. To imagine
sharing this experience with an even larger
number of viewers might seem more
inclusive from the statistics, but when you
can’t witness their enjoyment, the reality
is that you are actually watching it alone.
Witnessing the large group surrounding
you and being able to feel the presence of
musicians, comedians, speakers and actors is
exclusive to live events and something that
has remained both special and appreciated.
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